Orange County gained jobs in November from October as retailers added workers for the holidays, though employment was down from a year earlier.
The county had 1.53 million nonfarm jobs in November, up by 1,900 jobs from October but down by 2,200 jobs, or 0.1%, from November 2006, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.
The unemployment rate was unchanged from October at 4.2% and up from 3.4% a year earlier.
The latest numbers continue a running trend for jobs here, with marginal gains or declines each month that average out to be flat on a yearly basis.
Flatlining employment prompted economists at Chapman University to predict a local recession in the first half of 2008, with back-to-back quarters of job losses.
Chapman predicts a 0.2% decline in employment here next year, the first overall loss in jobs since 2002.
The county could lose 2,400 jobs next year, according to Chapman.
